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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · net · toast · snap · face · hide · swing · bay

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — to go on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — finally
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. snap — to click
  10. face — part of the head
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. last — final
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. face — to point toward
  19. toast — bread
  20. swing — music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com